When forming a building (or a bridge), a supporting construction must be formed for carrying all internal and external loads influencing the building. Different load types exist as FIG. 1 illustrates: point load, line load, and area load. The figure shows only the basic types but other types exist, for example moments, which are normally used. In area A, the point load focuses on point 1. Area B shows that the load forms a line load focusing on line 2. Correspondingly, Area C shows how the load is distributed in area 3. The length of the load lines illustrates the power of the loads.
Traditionally, the loads are shared among the structural members of the supporting construction. Calculations are made so that each structural member carries the load focused on it. FIG. 2 shows an example of a construction 24 on which some loads affect. The construction (more precisely the supporting construction) is composed of structural members, such as beams and columns. The vertical lines 21 illustrate the weight on the construction, i.e. vertical load, which can be, for example, snow and/or other loads. Since the upper beams 23 of the construction are the first structural members to carry the vertical load 21, the load is shared to the upper beams. Further, since the beams are long objects, they are preferably thought of as lines on which the load 21 affects—due to this the load acts as a line load.
Thinking more precisely about the vertical load 21 and it's distribution to the upper beams 23, it should be noted that the vertical load forms (in this case) an area load, but is focused on several line loads, each of which is carried by a certain upper beam. Further, it is also possible to divide the line loads into several point loads.
So, each upper beam carries a certain line load—the beam and the line load are connected to each other. The division calculations are utilized. Calculations are needed for ensuring that the structural members are capable of carrying the loads focusing on the construction. Before a connection, the capacity of a structural member to carry a load is calculated. Single structural member may carry several loads, i.e. several connections must be made. Naturally, a structural member may perform a load for another structural member. For example, the upper beams 23 perform loads to columns 25 in FIG. 2. So, the structural members may also perform a chain of loads, which is carried by one or more structural members. Without the calculations it is impossible to form a reliable construction.
If a number of beams or their position, for example, change for some reason, in FIG. 2, the division calculation of the load to smaller load entities is made. The load entities are connected to again to the structures. After that the distribution of the loads in the construction must be calculated. It is recalculated that the new construction can carry the loads. Due to all these, reconnections between the changed structure and loads are very tedious to make.
FIG. 2 also illustrates an example of a horizontal load (horizontal lines), forming a line load that is divided into point loads 22. The horizontal load may, for example, be a wind load. The columns 25 and 26 carry the load. This horizontal load is not distributed uniformly, but in the upper part of column 25, the point loads 22A are greater than in the rest of the columns. As can be noted, a construction may carry different types of loads receiving their forces and moments.
There are a number of applications utilizing different software for forming a model of a construction. The applications use structural models that correspond to real physical structural members, such as beams, columns, slabs etc. It is common that an application applies to a certain task, or tasks, and another application to another task.
A physical model, i.e. the model that is composed of structural members, and an analysis model, i.e. the model that calculates the strength of the members to carry the loads, are divided into separate applications. The loads are given in the analysis model and they are point or line loads. If an area load is desired, it must be divided into line and/or point loads before-hand. The physical model is used to make the analysis model from the structural members of the physical model. The structural members are presented in the analysis model with nodes and beams, which are simpler models of the structural members.
It is that applications do not cooperate more than that. Also the division of area loads to smaller entities, such as to line and point loads, is made for the analysis model by hand or by special application. The connections between loads and structural members are also made by hand. There might be some automation in making connection. But the way of handling the loads is static, tedious and means frustrating work when construction changes.
So, the problem of known solutions is that, when changing structural members, the division of the loads must be made again since the loads are in direct connections, through the calculations, with the structural members. The aim of this invention is to alleviate this drawback. This is achieved in a way described in the claims.